Wearable technologies have been widely adopted by consumers to measure and track aspects of health—there are bracelets to track steps and calorie burn, and clothing can measure heart rate and VO2 levels. While adoption is slower in clinical settings, some health care organizations have begun to integrate wearable technologies into patient care to create more opportunities for e-health programs and to create new data availability.

Some wearable technologies developed for the health care sector are designed to monitor patient vitals, enabling patients who are not in critical condition to receive round-the-clock monitoring from health care professionals at home. There is no need for people recovering from basic surgeries or those who have chronic conditions to remain in the hospital for prolonged periods of time. Care can be dispatched to their homes on an as-needed basis if vitals stray outside a “normal” range.

Not every patient requires this level of monitoring and care. But that does not mean there is not a need or place for wearable technology in their ongoing care plans. Less technical devices that do not include monitoring features for vital signs can still provide a valuable lifeline between patients and providers.

Many people assume that long term care is only for senior citizens, but in reality there are a variety of reasons patients of any age can require assistance with daily activities and medical needs. However, seniors do make up the largest percentage of populations requiring ongoing care services. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, 8,357,100 people receive support from the five main long-term care services each year, including home health agencies (4,742,500), nursing homes (1,383,700), hospices (1,244,500), residential care communities (713,300) and adult day service centers (273,200). While nothing can replace face-to-face interactions between patients and care providers, technology can help enhance caregiving and even improve patient outcomes in certain situations.

Many seniors retain a certain amount of independence even if they are receiving home nursing care and on any given day could be on a walk around the neighborhood, running errands to the local grocery store or taking part in a number of other activities. Normally, if an accident occurred in a situation like this the care provider would not know until the person was running late on their return home or until the next scheduled visit if care is not 24/7. Precious minutes of response time could be lost without the aid of clinical wearable devices.

Mobile personal emergency response system devices share some functionality with cell phones, like the ability to place a call for help. But mPERS devices are more versatile and feature-specific. Typically, a smart phone has only enough battery life for a few days of use, and unless a specialty application or feature is enabled on the phone, it cannot be used to locate a person easily. Smart phones cannot detect if an accident like a fall occurs, nor can they place an automatic call for help.

mPERS devices are not only able to detect a fall, but they go beyond the capabilities of a cell phone and are able to auto-dial family or a response team for help if a fall occurs. The battery life of these devices is far superior to smart phones, lasting up to 30 days in sleep mode. Most devices feature an SOS button that can easily be pressed in an emergency without the need to focus on dialing numbers. Caregivers of patients with dementia can also benefit from the on-demand location services of mPERS devices, which can be relied on to accurately provide a patient’s location to family members or a caregiver, all with a simple press of a button.

mPERS devices are not the outdated “senior” technology many people are familiar with—the button you wear and push when you fall. This type of technology only works within a certain range or a central call box. If a person falls in the yard or needs navigational assistance away from the senior living facility, this technology cannot be activated to call for help. On the other hand, mPERS devices are designed to work anywhere and feature a two-way speaker so caregivers can speak and listen to the patient. mPERS devices are the all-in-one solution that deliver peace of mind, improve security and quality of life for aging adults and their caregivers.

These devices should be viewed as tools that can enhance life, not make a person feel old and feeble. They can help caregivers monitor a patient’s location in an emergency and enable care to be mobile, fitting each patient’s activity level and preferred lifestyle. Patients, their families and care providers are all given peace of mind knowing the mPERS device provides a lifeline to help should one ever be needed.

Chris Holbert is CEO of SecuraTrac, a company that develops, markets and sells a suite of mobile safety solutions focused on improving senior and employee health and safety through mobile, location-based technology and state-of-the-art, cloud-based platforms.

BOCA RATON, Fla. – Micron Electronics recently launched enhanced features for its Prime One mobile personal emergency response system. In addition to two-way voice capabilities, Wi-Fi and GPS to determine the user’s exact location indoors and outdoors, the Prime One now includes fall detection alerts. “No matter the intended use, these new features represent the latest step in perfecting the Prime One’s reliability in high stress or emergency circumstances,” said Michael Xu, Micron Wireless CEO, in a statement.